EDWARDSVILLE - SIUE women's tennis Head Coach Adam Albertsen announced the addition of Stefaniya Anikina to the program. She will join the team in January.

"Coming off a strong fall season, we have really liked the momentum our team is building," said Albertsen. "Being able to add a player like Stefaniya to our Cougar family will give us another weapon and strengthen our lineup even further this spring. We are extremely excited to welcome her to SIUE and get her into action right away."

Anikina hails from Karaganda, Kazakhstan and will enter SIUE as a freshman from Public Municipal Institution High School #95. Anikina carries a Universal Tennis Rating of 8.75 has carried a national ranking as high as No. 28. In addition, Anikina has reached the 2022 Championships of Kazakhstan semifinals in both singles and doubles.

From Coach Albertsen...
"Stefaniya will be a strong student-athlete, who comes to SIUE with a focused mindset. I appreciate the importance she places on both academics and athletics as priorities. She had many schools interested in her for January, and I am thrilled she chose to be a Cougar. Stefaniya should make an immediate impact in both our singles and doubles lineups. I look forward to watching her game grow as she gets here and begins to work with our team."

From Stefaniya...
"From the first minute talking to the team, it was clear to me that it is a very supportive group. With the high-quality education, welcoming environment and wonderful campus that SIUE provides, I feel like I can reach my full potential both academically and athletically. This is something my family and I were looking for in a school."

The Cougars resume their season Jan. 21 at UIS in Springfield, Illinois.

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